Happy 1 year anniversary!

Natus Ex Nihilo is now one year old, and in honor of it I've decided to give the first few chapters a little rewrite. I had never done any serious creative writing before this and it showed, and anyone who has made it as far as the later chapters can definitely see the progress that was made. I figured bringing the first few chapters up to speed with the rest of it would do it some good. We've come a long way and have a long way to go, so thank you to everyone who has stuck with us so far and hello to any new readers! I will be reposing the next few soon and will only be rewriting up to chapter 4.

Lots of loves and as always please drop a review and give me your comments! They help keep the inspiration flowing.


Chapter 1 – Adrift (Rewrite)

Floating... She was floating.

Not an unusual thing to dream of by any means, but this was different somehow. Real... yet surreal. Normally it was just that off sense of weightlessness and heaviness of one's surroundings that suggested it, but she could feel the cool sensation of being enveloped. There was an instinctual twinge of panic as she took a deep breath to fill her lungs, but it faded as quickly as it came. What flowed into her was lighter than a liquid, thick and heavy, yet vaporous. She drew it in slowly like a heavy drag from a hookah. It left her feeling giddy and light headed. Drugged and relaxed yet her body hummed with pent up energy.

She opened her eyes. The world around her glowed brilliantly in shades of green. It was like she was suspended in a thick fog, there was nothing discernible beyond a few feet. She shifted lazily within the glow. There was no distress from her strange situation only a calm contentment; though idly something in the back of her mind told her this wasn't normal.

A long slender limb came into her view. The pale thing drifted along in front of her. An arm...My arm. My hand. The slim fingers wiggled as she willed them to. Twisting, she looked down. More pale flesh descended down from her. A body...I have a body. There was no surprise or confusion in her thoughts, just simple detached observation. Pale wisps of white hair floated around to obscure her view as she turned to look out into the void of green. There was nothing to see...but there was plenty to hear.

All around her voices hummed and murmured in a low buzz of indiscernible words. They had grown louder as she stirred awake, taking on a worried tone. She had blocked them out easily as they devolved into a buzz of white noise.

How? She jerked slightly at the sudden sound. The voices unified, speaking out as one. It was so jarring that it took her several moments to register what had been said at all. She wasn't even certain they had been speaking to her...but there was no one else here. How did she get here? She had no idea...no idea even where here was. I don't know...

Who? A feeling of wary curiosity emanated from the voices. I...I am me. It seemed like a foolish question. Who else could she be? There was contemplative silence from the choir of disembodied voices and she figured they were done prying. Her eyes fell closed slowly and she drifted in the soft glow.

What? She jerked again. Their frightened voices resonated through her head bouncing and echoing painfully. What am I? A sharp twinge of irritation shot through her. I am...Me. What else could I be? Her brow furled in agitation. The answers were obvious, why bother asking them? She was done with their questioning. They seemed to sense it and fell back into their soft distant murmuring.

The foreign feelings of wary confusion washed over her again. The voices argued and debated for a long while before finally falling silent. A decision was made and she awaited the verdict. They watched her and she stubbornly ignored them. A rush of the fluid like vapor rose up from beneath her, sweeping her away in its currents like a rag-doll in the tides.

Her mind drifted as she did and soon the hum of voices faded to a soft drone, soothing her into unconsciousness. Real or dream, with how nice it all felt, she didn't really care…


A painful impact and the sound of water rushing past her ears jarred her awake. She blinked owlishly at the crisscrossing metal grate her body was wedged against. Sharp rocks and bits of debris were caught between her and the grate by strong suction and they dug into her side painfully. The vaporous green traveled up past the grate and into the wide mouth of a metal pipe. The pipe itself was large like the massive sewer tunnels they lay down under roadways, except solid metal.

Its suction wasn't so strong that she couldn't pull away though. Dragging herself along to the pipes edge, she continued on, pulling herself up its side to the pools surface. The pipe jutted deep into the abyss. When she finally broke surface the light and sound was blinding and deafening after so little stimuli. Softly flowing fog rolled over the pools surface, glowing in many shades of light green. The chamber was huge and cylindrical. Its walls ascended seemingly forever. Other pipes of various shape and size came down along the walls to break surface at the glowing pool. Layers of catwalks and metal scaffolds crisscrossed overhead, and inset lighting marked doors coming and going along the many levels of walkways. The pool itself seemed to supply plenty of light to the structure on its own.

The hum that seemed to come from everywhere within the deeper currents seemed almost distant here, and aside from the pipes drawing in the brilliant glow, the pool within the chamber was comparatively calm. The acrid fumes kept her in a drowsy haze though. Gripping a junction in massive pipes frame, she laid her head against it. It kept spinning and all she wanted was to drift back to sleep.

Her eyes blinked sluggishly and it became harder to tell how long they had been closed or open. It could have been minutes or seconds or hours between each blink…she couldn't tell. Time held no meaning in the ever-glowing chamber. Occasionally the faint sound of movement from along the platforms above would draw her focus. Distant voices speaking that could have just as easily come from deep within the pool as it could from the industrial webbing above.

It was so difficult to focus on anything and the cool glowing pool kept her pleasantly numb. However, one steadily growing feeling remained… hunger. The pangs were easy to ignore at first, and she was perfectly content to drift along the slight currents below the pools surface. But they grew and the slight pang turned to an insistent gnawing. It stirred her into action. She broke the pools surface once more and pulled herself up onto one of the pipes ridged junctures. Its large rivets served as handholds and aided in her assent. Drawing herself up onto one of the pipes curves, she sat and looked up to assess the chamber she sat at the base of.

Pipes seemed to snake out from a massive central form around thirty feet from the pools surface. The pools glow lit it like a foreboding metal octopus, but didn't give any indication of its actual purpose. Valves and indicator lights lay scattered over the side facing a metal platform like many glinting red and green eyes. That platform continued across to a ladder that joined up to the crisscrossing network of catwalks.

She worked her way over to one of the chambers walls. Using the coiling network of pipes, she began to climb. The abrasive coating of rust and grime that should have scoured her hands and feet raw were barely felt. Even the steep climb to the first level of catwalks felt effortless. Not that I'm complaining, but... This all feels a little too easy. It didn't take long to reach the upper walkways. They were far more stable than the ones below and led into enclosed metal hallways. Small windows peaked out into the chamber below, granting the dark halls a soft green glow.

Strangely the place seemed familiar somehow, eerily so. Not quite like she'd been here, but like she'd seen this or similar from another point of view. The pools drug-like haze still lingered, leaving her thoughts jumbled and disjointed. Memories would arise as she struggled to recall them, coming in muddled or conflicting. The more she tried the more she came to realize how little she could remember. Almost as suddenly as the alarming thought arose a wave of indifference would wash over her and the sharp pang of hunger would bring her back to the task at hand. Food... I'm looking for food.

She pattered along with bare feet noting the very faint trail of foot prints they left. She was already drying though. The green glow that had seethed from her body faded as it was absorbed. Her feet moved hesitantly across the icy metal floor and a shiver coursed its way up her spine. The open air had dried much of the moisture of her skin, but it had left her chilled and the enclosed halls were only marginally warmer then the catwalks below. If it weren't for the hunger driving her forwards she would have returned to the glowing pool.

A glimmer of something out of the corner of her eye sent her fleeing into the shadows with her heart racing. But there was nothing she could see that would have caused it, just a small window opening up to the vast chamber below. You're just jumpy... even so...

She approached the window hesitantly and stilled as her reflection came into view. It was the first time she'd actually gotten to take a look at herself. It wasn't anyone or anything she recognized, though human in form. A cold blue fire burned in her eyes. No pupil or iris to be seen, just an icy blue glow. Her skin was pale to the point of transparency. Thin networks of veins glowed softly beneath her flesh. She looked like some kind of ethereal shade. Tall and thin almost to the point of sickly… And still naked. The lack of clothes was only a small thing in comparison to the sudden one-eighty in appearance. Her straight pale white hair, still fairly wet from the pool below, let off wisps of the glowing green vapor like steam. It brushed just above her shoulders and hung lank and sleek to her cheek and neck. Her hand reached up to trace a vein that wound its way from her lip down her chin. What the hell?

Any further observations would have to wait. The distant sound of footsteps were faint, but steadily grew as their owner moved in her direction. Whoever was coming wasn't rushed however. I doubt anyone knows I'm here. She slunk back against the far wall and hid in the shadows there. She watched the door anxiously and listened to the gradually growing rhythm. Glowing...you're glowing! How am I supposed to hide like this?!She ground her teeth together and glanced back up at the window in front of her. She went stock still.

She wasn't there. No glowing eyes, no reflection at all. She could see the faint outlines of the wall that should be behind her. Her head jerked down to inspect where her body should be. She was gone. Well sort of gone. A faint translucent outline remained. She glanced back up at the window and stiffened. Ethereal glowing eyes looked back at her from a faint ghosting of her face. As she stilled, even that steadily faded into the shadows surrounding her.

There was no time left to ponder it. The metal door at the end of the hall gave a soft beep and the light on the panel beside it blinked green. The thick door swished into the walls, opening the way for a guard. Well she assumed it was a guard of some sort. Sure looks like one. She could only really see him from the corner of her eye. She stood frozen in the shadows along the wall not daring to move, wary even to breathe.

He walked along at a casual pace, his heavy boots thumping along in a slow rhythm. As he neared he came into her line of sight. Definitely military... What kind she had no idea. He wore a mask, no helmet, which covered the upper half of his face, concealing his eyes down to his nose. Three faintly glowing red something's came to from a triangular arrangement and jutted out oddly from above eye level. Stealth seems unnecessary. Can he even see in that thing? It did nothing to sooth her anxiety however.

Cradled loosely in his arms was a long gun. Submachine gun...Uzi maybe. Has the shape of one at least. She paused in thought as he steadily moved past her. Not sure how I know what an Uzi looks like. This apparent amnesia was becoming a persistent annoyance. What did matter though was the fact that he probably didn't need to see with that gun in this enclosed space. Just spray and pray.

He continued along and she watched him make his way to the end of the hall. The door there opened for him as he approached and he went into the area beyond. She remained where she was, listening carefully to the heavy foot falls to track the guards' movements. I'd rather not get any more surprises today.

The door the guard had entered from was silent and she moved quickly towards it. It opened with the same easy motion as it had for the guard. With how dark the facility was and how unoccupied it seemed it was a pretty easy guess that it was in the places off hours. The hall continued along just as cold and nondescript as the last. The only notable difference being a narrow door with a frosted window along one of the walls. STAFF lay written across its glass and the soft glow of light seeped out from the edges of the doorframe. There was only silence from beyond the door, but the warm comforting smell of brewing coffee drifted to her. There never was a more perfect scent.

Easing the door open she glanced inside, blinking owlishly as her eyes adjusted to the brilliant florescent lights. Empty… Her gaze fell to the half full pot of coffee and the pink box beside it. Jackpot! Off to the side was a small round table with a bowl of fruit and a bag of what looked like pretzels. It may not have been much, but to her, it was a feast to behold.

She hurried over to the counter and tipped the lid of the box open to peek inside. Hell yah! Delicious doughnuts spotted! She grabbed one and gorged on it like she hadn't eaten in days. Which could be entirely accurate, she mused while snagging another. One in mouth, two in hand, she juggled with the pot of coffee and a little white styrofoam cup. Taking her bounty, she plopped down on a patched and worn brown loveseat along the wall. She let herself relax into it with a tired sigh.

She eyed the room as she munched on her doughnut. A clock on the wall pointed to 3:20, I'm guessing AM. It hung above a clock-in terminal with the schedule for various shifts throughout the day atop it, and a wide bulletin board covered in the usual corporate propaganda, old memos, and announcements. One thing of note was the company name that headed every page.

Shin-Ra Electric Power Company

It sent warning bells ringing wild through her head. That was important…familiar. But I can't remember WHY! It was reason to take a closer look at the papers scattered about the board. Memos regarding the 'Mako Reactor' and proper 'Mako' safety procedures and protocols littered the better half of it.

MakoIs that what I've been floating around in for…who knows how long now? They made it sound like pretty deadly stuff, but she had been swimming in it for a while now. I'm fine… She paused and reconsidered this with a slight scoff. If you skip over the memory loss, inability to focus, glowing, sudden superpowers … ok maybe it isn't that great to be living in. She glanced around the room focusing on the walls surrounding her. Maybe my reaction to it is unusual?

Even now she could sense this Makos presence and felt a strange connection to it. It was in the guards, the workers, even the potted plant in the corner. Wisps of it flowing through them and everything else that lived in this place. It was like a strange second sight or sixth sense. If she focused, her vision would shift and everything living took on that strange green glow. She glanced down at her hands and focused intently on them as well. I can see it in me too… But where everything else glowed in the same soft shades of green she radiated with a crisp blue that burned like the fire in her eyes.

As she sat watching the gentle flow of these lights move through her a pang not unlike the hunger she just sated ached. The thought of that glowing pool gave the same ravenous joy the doughnuts had. Mako… She glanced back up at the clock on the wall. 4:00…I'd better be getting back. She finished up her sugary meal and grabbed a few fruit from the bowl at the table. Hopefully it would tide her over for a little while.

The next few days or possibly weeks, it was impossible to tell, continued along these lines; alternating between sleeping in the green void and sneaking up to steal from the staff room. The longer she strayed the more she stabilized physically and mentally. The fierce glow of her eyes would fade and, while still abnormally bright, became more human. Memories would begin to become clear, only to fade at the return to the glowing pool. One thing was certain though. Wherever home was she was nowhere near it. She had no idea who or what she was, or how she'd gotten here. Maybe the voices in the Mako were asking the right questions after all…

She kept ever cautions in her little trips from the pool. But even so there were slip ups. A close call during an evening shift change left at least one worker claiming the reactor was haunted. Stray footprints, missing food, and their own paranoia only made the rumors grow. Notes turned up on the mini fridge threatening a formal talking to for whoever was eating so-and-so's food, and a memo on the board explained that the strange noises were due to the ongoing construction of the Sector 4 plate.

The concern regarding the noise turned out to be warranted however…


A deep resonating creek woke her from sleep. It was followed by the much louder grinding moan of bending metal and a series of sharp panicked screams. She had nearly surfaced when something massive plunged into the pool beside her. The large section of catwalk rushed by a little too close for comfort and continued to sink down into the abyss. Letting it slip by her, she rose to the surface and was greeted with chaos.

Along the wall in the lower half of the chamber a massive hole lay open gushing a torrid of small insect like creatures. They scurried out chasing down fleeing personnel as they went. The things kept to the higher levels of the facility and seemed to purposely avoid any areas that the Mako, now leaking from broken pipes, flowed. Concern steadily faded as it became apparent they weren't going to be coming down to her level. Not when they have much more interesting things to chase… She let herself slip back beneath the pools surface and returned to her rest.

Sometime later hunger pulled her from sleep once again, and as she surfaced she could smell the change. Blood… And who knows what else, but definitely blood. She squinted up at the higher levels. It was quite now. Small insect like monsters shuffled back and forth among the top tiers, moving with purpose like ants. Her hunger wasn't about to lessen and the longer she waited the weaker she'd be for it. Grabbing hold on a pipe she pulled herself up to start her climb.

Once she reached the catwalks she was able to get a better look at the things. They were small, about the size of a dog, and legless aside from a pair of mantis like forearms. Grub-like but armored, their grayish green body tapered down to a nasty scorpion like stinger on their tails. Bugs…I don't like bugs. An image of a massive black wasp like creatures zipping around passed though her head and sent a shiver down her spine. She shook it off and turned to eye the gaping hole in the wall. I doubt these little ones are big enough to make that hole… Momma and Poppa are likely around somewhere.

She kept her distance from the things. Picking a fight didn't seem like a good option at the moment, but they seemed pretty focused on their task and didn't seem interested in her. Many carried silk wrapped red stained parcels, and others wove silken tunnels and trails back to their entry point in the reactor wall. Any that did take notice of her would hiss and chatter, but seemed to go out of their way to avoid her. Her body still seethed with Mako, and she doubted that made for a very appetizing meal. You don't bother me, I won't bother you. She slipped her way past them along the catwalks.

It looked like the Reactor workers did not share her good fortune. Blood dripped from one of the higher catwalks from what assumedly was an unlucky fellow that ran the wrong way from the initial attack. What remained of his body lay splayed across the floor at a dead end. Bugs carrying bloody packages went to and from the unidentifiable red mass. Lovely… well I hope they don't ask me to stay for brunch if that's on the menu.

Similar messes in various states of 'disassembly' littered the path up and into the Reactor proper. She slipped through the sliding door into the inner halls but paused. Just past the staff room a much larger creature feed on a body that wore something other than what the workers and guardsmen had worn so far. From the amount of gore and insect parts strewn around he had put up a good fight. Blood stained what were once dark blue pants and his torso was currently torn wide open and serving as the larger insects' lunch. From what was left he looked military, but with much more muscle then the guards that usually patrolled the reactor.

The monster itself looked to be a more developed form of the smaller ones. It was about man height, and looked like a cross between a mantis and scorpion like the others were. But these ones had long legs and a much more solid looking carapace. She was even less interested in getting personal with it then she was with its smaller brothers. Leaving the big guy to his meal, she moved quietly into the shadows towards the staff room door.

A second smaller trail of fresh blood continued under the closed staff door. One of the smaller insects was scratching at it, but not making any progress. It hissed and raised itself up on its elongated body as she approached and she stilled, letting herself fade into the background. It chattered softly, perhaps in confusion, and moved away to join the larger insect to make a grab at the body there. She watched it go quietly before trying the door.

It opened with no resistance and she slipped into the darkened room. She let it side closed behind her before flicking on the lights. The long trail of blood that had led her here continued over to a helmeted guard propped up in the corner of the room. He's breath was ragged and it hitched sharply in surprise at the sudden flood of light. He made no motion to move and it was no surprise why. His arm lay clasped around his blood soaked abdomen and his leg looked twisted in the wrong direction. He started to shake softly at the sight of the woman standing over him.


An energetic classical tune pulled Genesis' attention from the stacks of paperwork strewn around his desk. Knows no rest… He'd been there all morning and would likely be there all day. He pulled his PHS from his coat and flipped it open. A thin auburn brow rose at the CID. Lazard, what does he want now? If he adds anymore on my to-do list I swear…His lips tightened to a line and he pressed his thumb to the little phone with more force than was necessary.

"Genesis speaking, what can I do for you Director?" His tone was polite, but exaggeratedly so.

A sigh sounded from the other line. "I'm sorry to disturb you Commander, but I have an assignment that needs immediate attention."

Genesis clenched his jaw and spoke between his teeth in a low hiss, "So get 'Geal to do it, I've got things to do."

Lazard ignored the other man's anger and replied briskly, "I'm afraid he is already on assignment outside Midgar and the situation is too urgent to call him back. This needs to be dealt with quickly… President's orders…"

"Fine," Genesis sighed irritably before lightly massaging his temple, "But this had better not take too long, I'm still trying to get caught up before I deploy."

"I know I know…" To his credit Lazard sounded legitimately apologetic, "But this can't be helped. We have already taken losses and President Shinra is none too happy about it. He wants a First on it."

"Should I come up to the briefing room?" Genesis asked.

Lazard hummed a negative, "I'll brief you over the phone, there's a vehicle prepared for you. The issue is at the Sector 3 reactor."

Genesis raised a brow and started through his office door. That had gotten his attention, he sounded curious, "Alright, I'm heading down…continue."

Lazard cleared his throat, "At 0700 hours a unit was sent in to deal with, what at the time was believed to be a small infestation of Grashtrike."

"I think I see where this is going," Genesis huffed with a small smirk.

He could almost feel the frown threw the line, "Yes… well… Soldier Third class Archer Wenham was sent in with two infantrymen to clear them out. A little under an hour ago we got an SOS from Infantryman Harold Jennings, he is all that remains of the unit. He has been injured, and will require extraction."

"What about the monsters? Even a Soldier Third can deal with a nest of Grashtrike." Genesis watched the city from the tall glass elevator as he spoke. The sun glowed a greenish yellow through Midgar's smog.

There was hesitation on the other line, "A few months back the Science Department lost a few specimens… they apparently get nastier than normal."

"Of course they do… any other surprises?" Genesis asked with a tried sigh.

"None that I'm aware, Hojo didn't give many details… You will be transported with a field medic and infantryman… The workers there have had a lot of losses already, be careful," said Lazard.

He made a mildly amused noise and a slight smirk graced his face, "Your concern is noted, Genesis out."

The small phone snapped closed with a flick of his wrist and he nodded shortly to the pair of infantrymen that awaited him at the garage as he stepped off the lift. He had a sinking feeling today was going to be a long day.